גְּעַ֨ר חַיַּ֪ת קָנֶ֡ה עֲדַ֤ת אַבִּירִ֨ים ׀ בְּעֶגְלֵ֬י עַמִּ֗ים מִתְרַפֵּ֥ס בְּרַצֵּי־כָ֑סֶף בִּזַּ֥ר עַ֝מִּ֗ים קְרָב֥וֹת יֶחְפָּֽצוּ׃
갈밭의 들짐승과 수소의 무리와 만민의 송아지를 꾸짖으시고 은 조각을 발 아래 밟으소서 저가 전쟁을 즐기는 백성을 흩으셨도다
Radak
Thou hast rebuked the nations (גוִֹיִם גערת): – (The expression for) rebuke when used without the preposition beth has the meaning of destruction, as: “Rebuke the wild beast of the reed” (Ps. 68:31); and as, “Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your sake” (Mal. 2:3); and so Thou hast rebuked (the) nations here.
Ramban
NASHAPHTA’ WITH THY WIND. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that nashaphta is derived from the root nesheph (twilight),153“For there are two kinds of nesheph (twilight): the nesheph after sundown, and the nesheph before sunrise” (Ibn Ezra)! Here the nesheph before sunrise is referred to. for it was at twilight that He brought the wind which caused the water to return and drown the pursuers. Rashi explained it “as an expression for ‘blowing,’ similar in usage to the verse, When ‘nashaph’ (He bloweth) upon them, they wither.”154Isaiah 40:24. Rashi has explained it well.
My opinion, furthermore, is that the purport of nashaphta, [written with the letter phei], is like [that written] with a beth: Thou ‘nashavta’ (didst blow) with Thy wind. The usage of the word is similar to: Because the breath of the Eternal ‘nashva’ (bloweth) upon it;155Ibid., Verse 7. ‘yasheiv’ (He bloweth) His wind, and the waters flow.156Psalms 147:18. These two letters — [the phei or pei and the beth] — are of similar usage, just as in the verses: ‘al gapei’ (Upon) the highest places of the city,157Proverbs 9:3. which is like al gabei; ‘im b’gapo’ (if by himself),158Further, 21:3. which is like im b’gabo. Similarly: And substance ‘yivzor’ (he shall scatter) among them;159Daniel 11:24. ‘bizar’ (He hath scattered) the peoples.160Psalms 68:31. These are expressions of pizur (scattering), [with the letter beth serving here as phei]161See Vol. I, pp. 505-506, for a similar interchange of letters between the gimmel and the kuph. In proper names, these letters also interchange, e.g., Shovach, and Shophach.162II Samuel 10:16; I Chronicles 19:16. And our Rabbis say in the Mishnah:163Peah 6:1. “[If produce is proclaimed] hevkeir (ownerless) for the benefit of the poor [only], it is deemed hevkeir (ownerless).”164If a person gives up his ownership of the produce of his field, he is free from the obligation of giving the Tithe. But if he proclaimed it ownerless only for the poor and not for the rich, the School of Shammai say it is deemed ownerless and is therefore Tithe-free. The Mishnah continues that the School of Hillel say that it can be deemed ownerless only if it is proclaimed ownerless equally for the rich. Ramban here is interested only in the language of the Mishnah using a veth (hevkeir) for a phei, and therefore he quotes only the beginning of the Mishnah. [The word hevkeir] is like hephkeir (ownerless). From the expression, The grains ‘avshu’ (shrivel)165Joel 1:17. comes the word ipush (musty). The term ben p’kua,166Chullin 69a. Literally: “a child [of an animal] which is ripped open.” [an animal taken alive out of the slaughtered mother’s womb], is used in place of ben b’kua, because the mother was “ripped open” and there was found in it a living offspring of nine months.
In my opinion also, ‘hichpishani’ in ashes167Lamentations 3:16. is like ‘hichbishani’ (He presses me) [or “He made me cower”] in ashes, the usage of the word being similar to: And replenish the earth, ‘v’chivshuha’ (and subdue it);168Genesis 1:28. ‘yichbosh’ (He will subdue) our iniquities.169Micah 7:19. In the language of the Rabbis we also find: “a measure which is k’phushah,”170Yebamoth 107b. meaning k’vushah, [a measure into which the contents have been “compressed”, and which therefore contains more than its normal measure].
The purport of the verse is thus: “with Your strong and mighty wind, the waters of the sea were piled up, and when You blew the wind with which You control the sea, the sea covered them.” This is the intent of the verse, And the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared,171Above, 14:27. for He caused the wind to blow on it as He does at His strength when He ruleth the proud swelling of the sea.172Psalms 89:10.
My opinion, furthermore, is that the purport of nashaphta, [written with the letter phei], is like [that written] with a beth: Thou ‘nashavta’ (didst blow) with Thy wind. The usage of the word is similar to: Because the breath of the Eternal ‘nashva’ (bloweth) upon it;155Ibid., Verse 7. ‘yasheiv’ (He bloweth) His wind, and the waters flow.156Psalms 147:18. These two letters — [the phei or pei and the beth] — are of similar usage, just as in the verses: ‘al gapei’ (Upon) the highest places of the city,157Proverbs 9:3. which is like al gabei; ‘im b’gapo’ (if by himself),158Further, 21:3. which is like im b’gabo. Similarly: And substance ‘yivzor’ (he shall scatter) among them;159Daniel 11:24. ‘bizar’ (He hath scattered) the peoples.160Psalms 68:31. These are expressions of pizur (scattering), [with the letter beth serving here as phei]161See Vol. I, pp. 505-506, for a similar interchange of letters between the gimmel and the kuph. In proper names, these letters also interchange, e.g., Shovach, and Shophach.162II Samuel 10:16; I Chronicles 19:16. And our Rabbis say in the Mishnah:163Peah 6:1. “[If produce is proclaimed] hevkeir (ownerless) for the benefit of the poor [only], it is deemed hevkeir (ownerless).”164If a person gives up his ownership of the produce of his field, he is free from the obligation of giving the Tithe. But if he proclaimed it ownerless only for the poor and not for the rich, the School of Shammai say it is deemed ownerless and is therefore Tithe-free. The Mishnah continues that the School of Hillel say that it can be deemed ownerless only if it is proclaimed ownerless equally for the rich. Ramban here is interested only in the language of the Mishnah using a veth (hevkeir) for a phei, and therefore he quotes only the beginning of the Mishnah. [The word hevkeir] is like hephkeir (ownerless). From the expression, The grains ‘avshu’ (shrivel)165Joel 1:17. comes the word ipush (musty). The term ben p’kua,166Chullin 69a. Literally: “a child [of an animal] which is ripped open.” [an animal taken alive out of the slaughtered mother’s womb], is used in place of ben b’kua, because the mother was “ripped open” and there was found in it a living offspring of nine months.
In my opinion also, ‘hichpishani’ in ashes167Lamentations 3:16. is like ‘hichbishani’ (He presses me) [or “He made me cower”] in ashes, the usage of the word being similar to: And replenish the earth, ‘v’chivshuha’ (and subdue it);168Genesis 1:28. ‘yichbosh’ (He will subdue) our iniquities.169Micah 7:19. In the language of the Rabbis we also find: “a measure which is k’phushah,”170Yebamoth 107b. meaning k’vushah, [a measure into which the contents have been “compressed”, and which therefore contains more than its normal measure].
The purport of the verse is thus: “with Your strong and mighty wind, the waters of the sea were piled up, and when You blew the wind with which You control the sea, the sea covered them.” This is the intent of the verse, And the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared,171Above, 14:27. for He caused the wind to blow on it as He does at His strength when He ruleth the proud swelling of the sea.172Psalms 89:10.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ואני אקניאם בלא-עם, “so I will (retaliate) by provoking them by a non-people.” [A group of human beings claiming to be a nation and having the rights of a nation although they do not share the ingredients which make a people into a nation. Compare the Palestinians in our days. Ed.] Moses referred to the Jews being exiled by the Babylonians (compare Isaiah 23,13 who ridicules the Babylonians’ claim to nationhood, seeing the Assyrians had annihilated that people.)
בגוי נבל אכעיסם, “I will make them angry by means of a vile nation.” This is an allusion to the exile under the Edomites (Romans). The reason the Torah refers in such demeaning terms to the Edomites is because the founders of this nation denied the genetic bond which existed between their common ancestor Yitzchok. Instead of assisting his kin, that nation watched gloatingly when the first Temple was being destroyed (Ovadiah 11). You will also find that Assaph referred to Edom as נבל, vile, in psalm 74,18 where we read: ”be mindful of how the enemy blasphemes the Lord, how base people revile the Lord;” he continues in verse 22 of the same psalm: “rise O G’d, champion Your cause; be mindful that You are blasphemed by base men all day long.” In verse 19 of that psalm the author writes: “do not deliver Your dove to the wild beast; do not ignore forever the band of Your lowly ones.” All of this is meant to make plain that the base people, עם נבל, he referred to was the חיה הרביעית, the “fourth beast” in Daniel’s vision, a reference to the kingdom of Edom. (Our author elaborated on this in connection with Bileam’s prophecies Numbers 24,28). (Compare also Psalms 68,31 where the “beast of the marsh” is a reference to Edom.)
בגוי נבל אכעיסם, “I will make them angry by means of a vile nation.” This is an allusion to the exile under the Edomites (Romans). The reason the Torah refers in such demeaning terms to the Edomites is because the founders of this nation denied the genetic bond which existed between their common ancestor Yitzchok. Instead of assisting his kin, that nation watched gloatingly when the first Temple was being destroyed (Ovadiah 11). You will also find that Assaph referred to Edom as נבל, vile, in psalm 74,18 where we read: ”be mindful of how the enemy blasphemes the Lord, how base people revile the Lord;” he continues in verse 22 of the same psalm: “rise O G’d, champion Your cause; be mindful that You are blasphemed by base men all day long.” In verse 19 of that psalm the author writes: “do not deliver Your dove to the wild beast; do not ignore forever the band of Your lowly ones.” All of this is meant to make plain that the base people, עם נבל, he referred to was the חיה הרביעית, the “fourth beast” in Daniel’s vision, a reference to the kingdom of Edom. (Our author elaborated on this in connection with Bileam’s prophecies Numbers 24,28). (Compare also Psalms 68,31 where the “beast of the marsh” is a reference to Edom.)
Rashi
will distribute Heb. יִבְזוֹר, like יִפְזוֹר. and so (Ps. 68:31): “he scatters (בִּזַר) peoples.”